One More Push Required at the Theatre of Trees
Parkway v Havant & Waterlooville | Match PreviewBy Mike Parrish
Following victory at Ladysmead against Tiverton Town on Easter Monday, many Parkway supporters made the journey back to Plymouth trying to work out the situation at the bottom of the table. While Parkway are not yet mathematically safe, they are edging ever closer.
It proved a busy Bank Holiday weekend across the division, with several sides at the wrong end of the table picking up valuable points in their fight for survival. That only added to the significance of Parkway securing maximum points with back-to-back wins over Basingstoke Town and Tiverton Town. Those results lifted the Yellows into 12th place after 39 games, with 49 points on the board.
Taunton, Dorchester, Hungerford and already relegated Tiverton currently occupy the relegation places, with Taunton sitting on 41 points and several teams above them still looking nervously over their shoulders as the battle to avoid the drop edges towards its conclusion.
While many continue to examine permutations and possible outcomes, interim manager Stuart Dudley remains focused solely on his own side. Since stepping into the role, Dudley has overseen an impressive run of six wins, one draw and two defeats from his nine matches in charge, a sequence that has helped transform Parkway’s outlook in recent weeks.
Much of that success has been built at home, with five consecutive victories recorded at the Theatre of Trees. Dudley will now look to extend that run to six as his side prepare to face an in-form Havant & Waterlooville.
In his pre-match reflections earlier this week, Dudley was quick to highlight the scale of the challenge ahead. Havant have recovered from a difficult start to the season and arrive in Plymouth with clear ambitions for the future.
“I’m really excited to see what today brings,” Dudley said. “Our opponents have made it very clear that they are intending to get promoted next season and have been building a squad to take them up over the last couple of months. They certainly arrive full of confidence and rightly so, given their results and obvious quality.”
The Hawks travel to Devon sitting eighth in the table following a strong resurgence after a worrying start left them hovering near the relegation places. A reshaped squad and improved form have seen them climb steadily, and had that run begun earlier in the season, they may well have been in the play-off conversation.
Recent results underline their current threat. Three successive victories, yielding twelve goals, have seen them overcome Evesham United, Hungerford Town and Gosport Borough, with leading scorer Ryan Seager continuing to play a central role in their attacking threat.
For Parkway, however, this is a challenge they will relish. With two home fixtures remaining before a final-day trip to Gosport Borough, Dudley has made it clear that his focus remains on maintaining their strong home form and continuing their push towards safety.
After a bruising Easter weekend, fitness will again be closely monitored. Captain Rio Garside was forced off during the victory at Tiverton, while Mikey Williams is expected to return to contention after valuable minutes over the weekend. Mitch Beardmore has returned to light training but this fixture may arrive too soon as he continues his recovery.
It has been a demanding season for Parkway, but recent weeks have shown the fight and resilience long associated with the club. With safety now within touching distance, that same determination will be required once again as the Yellows look to take another significant step forward on home soil.
Match Info
Plymouth Parkway vs Havant & Waterlooville
Southern League Premier South
Bolitho Park
Saturday, April 11 (3pm)
Gates open from Midday
Pay on the gate option available
Adult: £13
Concession: £11
Under 16’s: £8
Under 10’s: Free with paying adult.
Parkway Partners
